35 nominations rejected in Chittagong Chamber polls, appeals window opens
With the rejection of nearly half the nomination papers, candidates now face a brief window to appeal or correct documentation before the final list is confirmed
The nomination board has rejected 35 out of 71 nomination papers submitted for the upcoming Chittagong Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) election, throwing the contest into a tense phase ahead of the November vote.
Monowara Begum, director of Chattogram Local Government Division and chair of the election board, confirmed the development today (26 September).
"Some nominations were found invalid due to missing papers. Candidates will have the chance to appeal or submit the required documents within the stipulated time," she said.
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Currently, with the rejection of nearly half the nomination papers, candidates now face a brief window to appeal or correct documentation before the final list is confirmed. The election will determine the leadership of the century-old CCCI, regarded as one of Bangladesh's most influential business bodies.
According to the election board, 24 candidates in the Ordinary Member group and nine in the Associate Member group cleared the initial scrutiny. Three contenders in the Trade Group also remain valid for its three director posts.
However, all nominations in the Town Association group were disqualified in the first round, along with 24 in the Ordinary Member group and eight in the Associate Member group.
The Ministry of Commerce–formed board announced the election schedule on 11 August for the 2025–26 and 2026–27 terms.
Voting for 24 director posts across four categories will take place on 1 November from 9am to 4pm. Of these, 12 directors will be elected from the Ordinary Member group, six from Associate Member, and three each from the Trade and Town Association groups.
The chamber published its voter list on 14 September, with 4,001 ordinary members, 2,764 associate members, five town association members, and 10 trade group members eligible to cast ballots.
Nominations were submitted on 21 September at the Chattogram Divisional Commissioner's office in what observers described as a festive atmosphere.
According to the board, the candidates who cleared the first round in the Ordinary Member group are: ASM Ismail Khan, Shahidul Alam, Md Golam Sarwar, Md Shawkat Ali, Md Jamal Uddin, Mohammad Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, Kamal Mostafa Chowdhury, Nasir Uddin Chowdhury, Tawseef Ahmed, Asad Iftikhar, Emad Ershad, Md Jasim Uddin Chowdhury, Dr ATM Rezaul Karim, Md Humayun Kabir Patwary, Mohammad Azizul Haque, Md Wahid Murad Chowdhury, Ahmed Rashid Amu, Md Arif Hossain, Mohammad Musa, Mohammad Shafiul Alam, Md Rashed Ali, Rakibul Alam, Kazi Imran F Rahman and Ahmed Ul Alam Chowdhury (Russel).
In the Associate Member group: Mohammad Nurul Islam, Mohammad Alauddin Al Azad, Md Shawkat Ali, Sarwar Alam Khan, SM Nurul Haque, Mostak Ahmed Chowdhury, Md Rafiqul Islam, SM Kamal Uddin and Mohammad Ayub.
And finally, in the Trade Group for its three director posts: Mohammad Amirul Haque, Mohammad Akhtar Parvez and SM Shafiul Alam.
